Mastering English = Possible? (1 Viewer)

[Boxxxhead]

People at my school who aren't exactly bright and couldn't do comprehensions still managed to get band 5's in Advanced, where in my year, the Advanced average was 77. They did it by writing essays + memorising.

If you're fairly smart, you can own english.

 

[gouge.away]

it's possible.

read widely
know your discourse [post-colonial/orientalist, gender, etc]
broaden your vocabulary

it helps when you have a good imgination/an open mind/can think critically. if not, take some acid.

start with working on your biggest weakness and build up from there. bullshit artistry fails.

 

[Pink Oni]

If teachers write vague comments of improvements, find out who marked them and ask them how you can improve. I did this in my trial SC and it worked wonders since. Of course, if you are like me and on every assessment you get back it says something like "expand more on points rather than have many points... blah blah" then take the hint lol.

 

[Aerath]

Oh, that's one criticism I have - that the marker(s) rarely ever write personalised comments (well, at my school, at least). I always wanna know where I went wrong, and if I did well, which areas I can improve in. But I understand that there probably isn't enough time to write personalised comments for 210 students, especially if there were three assessments that need to be marked in a couple of days (Advanced Essay and Creative, and Extension Essay).

 

[Pink Oni]

Oh, that's one criticism I have - that the marker(s) rarely ever write personalised comments (well, at my school, at least). I always wanna know where I went wrong, and if I did well, which areas I can improve in. But I understand that there probably isn't enough time to write personalised comments for 210 students, especially if there were three assessments that need to be marked in a couple of days (Advanced Essay and Creative, and Extension Essay).

I see your point. That is probably why the comments are usually very broad when they actually write about the assessments.

In any case, isn't there a different marker for each English level? Unless there are 210 student doing your English course xD

 

[Aplus]

Observing this thread, it appears to me that some people are only using this as an excuse for their marks in English.

 

[Finx]

Observing this thread, it appears to me that some people are only using this as an excuse for their marks in English.

Possibly true. I am still yet to find someone on this site who finds English easy/masterable =[

 

[jules.09]

English isn't 'masterable' in the sense that the HSC math syllabus is (for the sake of comparison). The two subjects require a different style of thought altogether.

Mathematics requires a good foundation in basic mathematical skills, and the senior course is an extension of our knowledge. Many people believe it's just formulae that you rote learn, but really, it's beyond that. It is meant to be understood and appreciated.

Then you have english.

English, is a humanities subject. Rote learning passages may get you somewhere, but the bottom line is you generally have to like the subject. You need to be in touch with politics, philosophy, religion, current affairs etc. It helps to have a good vocabulary repetoire too.

Essay writing. It's absolutely essential to know what you have studied in class (what you are assessed on), and clarify it all in your head before the exam. Once you get in, with the planning time you get, organise a structure (listing important facts and things you want to discuss).

The introduction should answer the question being posed. Give some background to support this answer and introduce your thesis. After that, the essay paragraphs should follow the structure:

state (topic sentence) ---> explain (what are you discussing) ---> prove (techniques and direct references/quotes)

I'll also add that if the question is very direct, markers will expect a predictable answer. Some essay questions are broad and can be argued both ways (marks will be awarded based on strength of argument).

Perhaps it is true that there are a lot of asians on this forum complaining that they can't do english, but I don't see that being necessarily anything more than a generalisation. Frankly, I'm asian and I do well in math AND english.

Anyone can do english, it just depends on your approach to it.

 

[Finx]

^ Golden post. Thanks a bunch for the reply =]

 

[Tsylana]

Theres a kid at my school... whos vocabulary pratically contains no words with under 10 syllables. >_>". He gets next to 100% in every english assessment apart from speeches... and even then he gets like 90% in them ><"

 

[jules.09]

^ Golden post. Thanks a bunch for the reply =]

No problem! Was a pleasure to help.

 

[catherinet]

I say this with (most likely) many people who agree with the statement.

English is SUCH a broad subject. Your ideas are being evaluated. Ideas reflect opinion, which reflects your own state of mind and how you see things. It can be common for people to be marked down due to their difference of opinion compared to the marker.

Don't tell me that 'backing up your ideas' will fix the problem. It's very possible for markers to still disagree with your thoughts.

*nods approvingly*

 

[SomeoneCool]

I haved already masterted the english already. I am the best on it and I am best in top of class at English. I am the bestest of my friendds and they all wish me to be them.

 

[Aerath]

In any case, isn't there a different marker for each English level? Unless there are 210 student doing your English course xD

Well, teachers alternate. But there are 210 students in my grade, and we all do Extension 1 English.

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

Hey, I had taken a break from this site for a while, but now I'm back for a query!

I've browsed several threads on this forum and found a common problem in some students - their problems with English.

I want to see if there is someone out there who is actually "mastering English". I'm talking about someone who scores near full marks in their essays, gets top marks in extenstion etc. If so, how do you do it?

OR, is English actually a 'masterable subject' at all?

im not asian, im not a teachers pet, and i ace english. its got to do with practise. and more practise. youve got to keep going over your texts and techniques, but before even that, KNOW THE MODULE. inside out. what its about, what you like and dislike, agree or disagree with, context, purpose, all of it. if you dont understand the AOS or module, no matter how good you are, you will not 'master' english.

write and write alot. talk to your peers and your teacher. help one another. the most valuable way to gauge whether you understand something is to teach it to someone else. teacher your mum, your cat, your dork brother, or even better, the kid coming last in class. youll soon realise what you know and what you need work on.
submit practise essays. make mid maps of your techniques and their effects. keep ontop of the work and the concepts.

 

[jules.09]

Well, teachers alternate. But there are 210 students in my grade, and we all do Extension 1 English.

When you quote the number of students in the grade and say that they 'all' do extension 1 english, is that the student's decision or the school's decision?

I know that at my school, as we are currently in year 11, we are forced to take advanced, and next year, we have the option of standard.

 

[the-derivative]

When you quote the number of students in the grade and say that they 'all' do extension 1 english, is that the student's decision or the school's decision?

I know that at my school, as we are currently in year 11, we are forced to take advanced, and next year, we have the option of standard.

Well I'm guessing the school forces you. That really makes my school seem bad, because they force most people to do the lower alternative - they force most students to do General Maths and Standard English. So thats why we only have ~60 people in Advanced.

 

[Aplus]

When you quote the number of students in the grade and say that they 'all' do extension 1 english, is that the student's decision or the school's decision?

Everyone at Sydney Boys does Extension 1 English and Extension 1 Mathematics as far as I am aware.

 

[Aerath]

When you quote the number of students in the grade and say that they 'all' do extension 1 english, is that the student's decision or the school's decision?

We are all forced to do Extension 1 English. We're not forced to do Extension 1 Maths, so about 200/210 students do it. (The other 10 or so do 2 Unit).

 

[bawd]

First off with the basics. Know your grammar! It's surprising how many people do not know how to properly use punctuation and sentence structure. A great place to practise these skills is right here (lol). Make sure you recognise how to structure different text types as well (as this usually accounts for a few marks). Another thing is syntax! Some people write sentences which are worded incorrectly, but do not realise. Get someone else (a high achieving English student who preferably does not gloat) to read over your writing before handing it to the teacher. Not to mention, expand your vocabulary by playing Free Rice (and fighting World Hunger at the same time =D) or reading ... the dictionary. Yes, I'm quite serious.

Try setting little goals for yourself, such as reading 5 pages of the dictionary everyday. The next day, speed read through the previous 5 pages and then start reading the next 5.

If pondering through thousand page books, wondering why you'd need to know what a 'bortsch' is (a Russian beet soup), is entirely out of your spectrum, then try reading - well - whatever good literature is available. See reading not as a duty, but rather as a form of past time; let your mind wonder. A good start is to checkout best-seller lists on book store sites such as Dymocks, A&R, Borders et al. I recommend Tale of Two Cities (Dickens), The Power of One (Courtenay, Bryce), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare) and Cloudstreet (Winton, Tim).

Expanding your vocabulary also has big impacts on your comprehension of various texts you may read in class. Because you have a wider word base, you are able to recognise and process more of the information you are being presented.

Participate in class discussions (if you have any), and express your ideas freely (but make sure you are not being too sporadic, and can easily support your opinion, otherwise you may get burned).

Finally make sure you ask your teacher if you have any problems (that's what they're there for), even if it means staying back five minutes after class. It is better to solve little problems early onwards, than let them become cataclysmic right before an assessment or exam.